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bicycle

"The bicycle has got to be one of the most clever and cunning devices that we humans have ever invented. The wheel would be a close second, but we didn't so much invent the wheel as just find it, and besides, the wheel never really amounted to anything until people started putting it on bicycles" (MEC, 2001). Through the years the bicycle has improved significantly from it's earliest design and remains a healthy and environmentally sound means of transportation.

Through time there have been literally myriads of bicycle like contraptions. Recognition for the first invention of a bicycle is credited to Comte de Sivrac, who in the late 1790's constructed a crude form of bicycle consisting of a carved wooden bar and two wheels. It was lacking a front fork and could therefore not be steered. The next appearance of a two wheeled riding machine came in 1816. Baron von Drais, constructed a similar machine, only his with a fork for the front wheel which allowed the rider to steer. Pedals where finally introduced in the 1860's on a form of cycle called the velocipede or more popularly known as the boneshaker (Baranet, 1973). The next major improvement came with the bicycle known as the "safety". The safety's pedals where attached to a chain linked to the rear wheel. In addition the safety was equipped with a braking system that made cycling safer for everyone. The eventual addition of different gear ratios and the use of more sophisticated materials bring us to the bicycle of present. With the progression of the first walking machine to the highly technical bicycle of present times, the bicycle has not only remained a practical means of transportation, but also for some become a way of achieving and maintaining physical fitness.

It is a well-known fact that maintaining physical fitness through regular exercise greatly improves one's quality of life. Cycling is a good form of exercise that can provide both physical and ment...

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...PROPOSAL PAPER
THE CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLE LANES
IN
TAMAN WIRAJAYA, TUARAN
DATE
10th JUNE 2012
ORGANISER
COMMITTEE OF TAMAN WIRAJAYA, TUARAN
1.0 INTRODUCTION
It is widely acknowledged that cycling is one of the best ways for people to achieve good health and fitness. People who cycle regularly live longer than those who do not and lead healthier lives. Indeed, cycling has been shown to be the most effective thing an individual can do to improve health and increase longevity.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
The construction of bicycle lanes would be able to:-
a) increase safety for cyclists on the housing area lanes and giving them no reasons for not to cycle because of personal safety.
b) achieve the Taman Wirajaya’s committee objectives, making cycling more pleasant for leisure. Cycling is an ideal alternative mode of transport to the car for short journeys.
c) educate people to the advantages of cycling, promoting a better image for the cycle and making the public and individuals aware of the benefits of cycling.
3.0 AIM
To promote and develop cycling in Taman Wirajaya as a safer, convenient, low cost and environmentally friendly mode of transport, for leisure and other short trip and increase opportunity for more people to choose cycling.
5.0 DATE OF PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION
|DATE |: |June 2012 – July 2012 (3 weeks)...

...develop into a global industry
By J David Goodman
India had no sales of electric bikes until two years ago, but its market could eclipse Europe in one year
Jiang Ruming, a marketing manager, owns a van, but for many errands, he hops on a futuristic-looking contraption that lets him weave rapidly through Shanghai’s messy traffic. He rides an electric bicycle.
Half a world away, in San Francisco, the president of that city’s board of supervisors, David Chiu, uses an electric bike to get to meetings without sweating through his suit.
And in the Netherlands, Jessy Wijzenbeek-Voet recently rode an electric bicycle on a long trip that, at 71, she would not have been able to make on a standard bike.
Detroit may be introducing electric car designs and China may be pushing forward with a big expansion of its highways and trains. But people like Jiang, Wijzenbeek-Voet and Chiu — as well as delivery workers in New York, postal employees in Germany and commuters from Canada to Japan — are among the millions taking part in a more accidental transportation upheaval.
It began in China, where an estimated 120 million electric bicycles now hum along the roads, up from a few thousand in the 1990s. They are replacing traditional bikes and motorcycles at a rapid clip and, in many cases, allowing people to put off the switch to cars.
In turn, the booming Chinese electric-bike industry is spurring worldwide interest and impressive sales in...

...-------------------------------------------------
Bicycle
A bicycle, often called a bike (and sometimes referred to as a "pushbike", "pedal bike", "pedal cycle",or "cycle"), is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A bicycle rider is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe and now number more than a billion worldwide, twice as many as automobiles. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for use as children's toys, general fitness, military and police applications, courier services, and bicycle racing.
The basic shape and configuration of a typical upright, or safety bicycle, has changed little since the first chain-driven model was developed around 1885. But many details have been improved, especially since the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for many types of cycling.
The bicycle's invention has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial methods. Several components that eventually played a key role in the development of the automobile were invented for the bicycle, including ball bearings, pneumatic tires,...

...Objective
The objective of the project of redesigning the bicycle saddle is to lessen the uncomfortable sitting on the bicycle saddle, giving cyclist the maximum pleasure of riding of the bicycle. This is because the current bicycle saddle causes pain to the soft perineal tissue, the major part of the human’s tissue that has direct contact to the saddle. The pain that comes from the saddle is because all the pressure from the cyclists’ weight is directed onto the soft perineal tissue. Therefore, with the new design of the bicycle saddle, less pain will be having by the cyclist during cycling.
[pic]
Figure: Pelvic girdle of a female (above) and male (below)
Introduction
The project of redesigning the bicycle saddle is to lessen the uncomfortable sitting on the bicycle saddle, giving cyclist the maximum pleasure of riding of the bicycle. This is because the current bicycle saddle causes pain to the soft perineal tissue, the major part of the human’s tissue that has direct contact to the saddle (Functionally ergonomic saddle, n.d). The pain that comes from the saddle is because all the pressure from the cyclists’ weight is directed onto the soft perineal tissue. This new design is different from the saddle in current market because it gives comfort to both male and female cyclists as the new design fits both male and female...

...Chris Lutz
Professor Roydhouse
The Urban Experience
Research Skills Project
Towards a Sustainable Future: How bicycles are building America faster than cars
A majority of people can recollect the day of having the training wheels taken off of their bikes as children. Once those extra means of safety were gone, some people took their time making sure to stay upright while others decided to speed off as if their shackles had just been removed. Unfortunately, the United States was one of the others. In fact, the U.S. sped off so fast that bikes became a thought of the past once those two wheels suddenly evolved into four. Automobiles were a huge part in the rise of the United States; but they also meant the death to bikes. “Popular condemnations of America's obsession with the automobile and the destructive impacts it has had on US cities, the environment, and daily living are a staple of postwar urban commentary” (Beauregard 2005). However, a new leaf has been turned over and bikes are now a huge factor in pushing the U.S. towards a sustainable future. Unlike automobiles, bikes are more than just a form of transportation, they’re one of the biggest keys to building an energy efficient America.
One of the biggest problems that automobiles created was urban sprawl. According to Paul M. Torrens, “Sprawl is a process of urbanization--urban growth by suburbanization. THis process is quite rapid and is a characteristic of the expansion of...

...Why ride a car, why not a bicycle?
ENG 121
December 13, 2010
Why ride a car, why not a bicycle?
It is interesting to look back and see how people switch from riding bicycles as kids to driving cars as they grow older. Once students finish high school and move to college away from home, their parents prefer them to use cars to drive back and forth from college and also for personal use. It is true that considering the general lifestyle of the people in the U.S., the car is a necessity in almost every household. However, if a comparison is made between the use of cars and bicycles based on key factors like speed, cost, door-to-door access, safety, ease of parking and the cost involved, impact on environment, health benefits, need for extra clothing, operation and maintenance costs and their impact on the community or society in general, bikes hold an edge over cars. Not surprisingly, there seem to be a lot more organizations today than in the past which advocate the use of bicycles.
In the present day scenario of rising fuel prices, job losses, and housing crisis, people prefer to spend less time to commute to work. Another fact worth to be noted is that more than half of them stay closer to work. Cars have a very high top speed but that's irrelevant for most commutes, since most are slowed down by rush hour traffic. If a commuter is lucky enough to average 35 mph while...

...2010
Subject: Building and Marketing a Low Cost Motorized Bicycle in Developing Countries.
Subject
This plan is to develop and a market a low cost, two stroke engine bicycle for sale in developing countries. A startup company will be created and will use an enhanced version of a lawn mower engine, a gearing and mount assembly, and an existing aluminum alloy frame mountain bike. The bike chosen for this modification will have both front and rear shock absorbers for rough terrain.
Justification
From travelling and spending extended periods of time in rural areas of developing countries I have seen the need for low cost portable transportation. Portable in this case refers to the ability to push or ride the bicycle in the event of malfunction or lack of fuel. For this bicycle to be viable the owner has to be able to afford the initial investment with little or no help.
Based on initial assessment the secondary need of this product is full functionality in the event of a non operating motor. The owner will be able to use the bicycle even while awaiting repairs or is out of fuel. This is almost as important as being able to operate the bicycle normally. In some developing countries the availability of support resources is sometimes unpredictable. (Towton S. 2003)
Some critical resources...